August-September 2025 • Nebraskaland 61
the 340-acre Home Valley Lake.
To understand Cottonwood-Steverson, it helps to know
a little about geology and history. Droughts of centuries
ago formed the dunes of the Sandhills. Wetter times of late
stabilized the dunes with grasses, and the massive Ogallala
Aquifer feeds the low spots with groundwater to give the
region the special trove of lakes present today.
At this locale, the Sandhills' elevation varies more than it
does in most parts. Upon driving into the property, visitors
are taken up and over a vantage point more than 100 feet
above Steverson Lake and its wetlands below — something
of a cliff in the massive expanse known for its rounded hills.
The variance of elevation isn't just above the surface. The
lakes in this area are deeper than most in the Sandhills, and
Cottonwood, which reaches 20 feet, is considered to be the
deepest of natural public water bodies in the region.
At more than 1½ miles from the access road, a visit to
Home Valley requires some hiking or time on a horse, and
gets traffic in winter when anglers are allowed to ride an ATV
over ice to the north end of Cottonwood and follow a trail the
last half-mile over land. After ice-out, some take the same
approach by paddling and pulling kayaks, float tubes and
The sun rises behind Steverson Lake, which has the most surface area of the property's three lakes.
